Sunday, June 21, 2009

Our body controls its weight through a balance of appetite, hunger, and metabolism. These all operate best with the proper intake of vitamins. In fact, all vitamins play a role in maintaining weight, but new research says it's vitamin D that may actually help you lose it. Vitamin D is produced naturally by our bodies during exposure to sunlight. But the nutrient has recently been dubbed a "weight loss vitamin" after a newly-conducted study showed it to be helpful when trying to shed a few pounds. Researchers found women with low levels of the nutrient were, on average, 16.3 pounds heavier than those who were vitamin D sufficient. Yet Good Housekeeping's health director Toni Hope explained that the exact cause of this phenomenon still has not been confirmed. "Researchers believe that vitamin D may slow down the growth of fat cells," Hope said . "Though it could be the fat cells are simply trapping the vitamin so it's not circulating through the blood."Summer weather undoubtedly brings many people outside into the sunshine, and some say higher levels of the nutrient -- due to increased sun exposure -- is why we tend to weigh less in the summer. A mere 10 minutes of exposure provides a sufficient amount of the nutrient. Vitamin D can also be obtained from certain foods, such as fish, milk, eggs and fortified orange juice. Hope added that the nutrient also comes in a supplement form."Experts are recommending 1000 IU of D-3 a day for adults," Benefits of adequate vitamin D levels go beyond weight loss. "It could help prevent various kinds of cancer, including breast cancer, high blood pressure, Alzheimer's disease and other problems. Vitamin D deficiency tends to be common in people with darker skin, as well as among the elderly and those who are overweight. Doctors can perform a simple blood test to check for the condition.